Home Viewing: ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ Rules, Awards Boosts, and a Weird Netflix Chart
Peaceful coexistence between theaters and home platforms, and the latter showing more interest in awards-elevated titles, stand out as themes this week in VOD play. Throw in signs that Nicolas Cage, always a draw for home-oriented feature films, is as strong as ever, and two unheralded titles standing out at Netflix above higher-profile originals, and the result is several interesting developments this week.
In its second week of home video play, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (Universal/$19.99), released in theaters just over a month ago, repeats as #1 on all three VOD charts we follow. In the meantime, the film gained six percent this weekend in theaters, crossed the $100 million mark, showing signs that concurrent availability does little harm, at least to a family title.
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This week, the Golden Globe awards and nominations from other prime industry group saw little reaction in theatrical returns other than a consistent interest in “The Whale” (A24). But among the films already with home play, six potential Oscar Best Picture contenders, most with recent attention, took a third of the 30 possible spots on the lists.
“The Woman King” (Sony/$5.99), the only one among the three not a presumptive Best Picture nominee, actually scored best with positions on all charts. The hit movie, with its price just recently reduced, remains very popular with audiences, with award attention just an added bonus as opposed to the essential need for some other films. “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount/$5.99), as high still as #2 at Google Play and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24/$19.99) also made two lists, both also among the three top grossing films among these contenders. The Daniels’ film remarkably is making a comeback at a PVOD price after earlier available for rent at $5.99. That’s an unusual if not unprecedented move on A24’s part.
Merie Weismiller Wallace / Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
“TÁR” (Focus/$5.99), “The Fabelmans” (Universal/$19.99), and “Elvis” (Warner Bros. Discovery/$5.99) complete the list of ranked contenders, all on iTunes this week. Non-contending but quite popular with adults “Ticket to Paradise” (Universal/$5.99) is the other title on all three charts, as high as #2 at iTunes.
“The Old Way” (Saban/$19.99) is the sole new entry this week, with two listings (#3 at Vudu, which ranks by revenue). This direct-to-home western stars Nicolas Cage, with its pricing curious. Cage has been a VOD stalwart for years, with many of his titles going straight to video. But quite often they initially rented for $5.99. Now, after the theatrical and then home success of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” last year, its seems his stock has been boosted.
Netflix is led by four originals, but the two high-profile titles that have been ahead in recent weeks — “The Pale Blue Eye” with Christian Bale and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — fell to third and fourth. The two that top the chart are far lower-profile but more typical Netflix original fare, doubtlessly much less expensive.
#1 at the moment is “Dog Gone,” an animal search/father-and-son reconciliation story with Rob Lowe from veteran director Stephen Herek (“Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”). #2 is the intriguingly titled “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker,” an original documentary about a charismatic young vagabond who first became a hero than became a murder suspect in a different incident.
The rest of their titles are older theatrical releases, include two “Transformers” films and two starring Eddie Murphy. The Amy Adams 2010 rom-com “Leap Year” is the highest new entry this week.
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for January 16. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
iTunes
1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) – $19.99
2. Ticket to Paradise (Universal) – $5.99
3. TÁR (Focus) – $5.99
4. The Fabelmans (Universal) – $19.99
5. Triangle of Sadness (Neon) – $6.99
6. Devotion (Sony) – $19.99
7. Elvis (WBD) – $5.99
8. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $5.99
9. The Woman King (Sony) – $5.99
10. Knives Out (Lionsgate) – $3.99
Google Play
1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) – $19.99
2. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) – $4.99
3. Knives Out (Lionsgate) – $3.99
4. Violent Night (Universal) – $19.99
5. The Woman King (Sony) – $5.99
6. Ticket to Paradise (Universal) – $5.99
7. The Old Way (Saban) – $19.99
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $19.99
9. The Grinch (Universal) – $3.99
10. Smile (Paramount) – $4.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, which elevates Premium VOD titles. This list covers January 9-15.
1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) – $19.99
2. Devotion (Sony) – $19.99
3. The Old Way (Saban) – $19.99
4. The Menu (Searchlight) – $14.99
5. Ticket to Paradise (Universal) – $5.99
6. Prey for the Devil (Lionsgate) – $5.99
7. Violent Night (Universal) – $19.99
8. The Woman King (Sony) – $5.99
9. Black Adam (WBD) – $19.99
10. Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, January 16. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed.
1. Dog Gone (Netflix original)
2. The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (Netflix original documentary)
3. The Pale Blue Eye (Netflix original)
4. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix original)
5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011 theatrical release)
6. Leap Year (2010 theatrical release)
7. Trolls (2016 theatrical release)
8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009 theatrical release)
9. Daddy Day Care (2003 theatrical release)
10. Life (1999 theatrical release)
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